Automatic drawbridge-gate.



N0. 668,6:6. Patented Feb. |9,"|9o|.

v'. n. JOHNSON. AUTOMAILC DRAWBRIDGE GATE.

(Application filed May 17. 1900.

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Pafented Feb. l9, l90l.

.V.,O. JOHNSON.

AUTOMATIC ORAWBRIDGE GATE.

(Application filed May 17. 1900., (No Model.) 4 Sheets-8heet 3.

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No. 668,610. Patented. Feb. l9, 19m.

v. n. JOHNSON. "AUTOMATIC DRAWBRIDGE GATE.

I (Applicetiop filea May'17, 1900.1 (No Model.)

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. UITED STAT S PATENT Eric.

VICTOR D. JOHNSON, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC DRAWBRlDGE-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,610, dated February 19, 1901.

Application filed May 17, 1900. Serial No. 17,030. No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VIoToR D. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at A11- rora, county of Kane, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement'in Automatic Gates for Drawbridges, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide a gate which automatically opens and closes IO by the opening and closing movement of the drawbridge, and is more particularly adapted for bridges swinging upon a central pier. The mechanism is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of thegate audits supporting ends, one side broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view, one part broken away to show the working parts underneath. Fig. 3 is a detail of the gate. Fig. 4'is a vertical view of the gate, showing tripping mechanism of the'device for locking the parts. Fig. 5 is a detail of the rack and pinion, taken on line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 isa vertical section of drum or reel on line 6 6, Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 7 7, Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a Vertical section of the reel carrying the gate.

Similar numerals refer tosimilar parts" throughout the several views.

The construction of the invention contemplates a double structure or a duplication of parts, one on each side of the roadway, and represented by 1 1, from which .the gate is thrust outward. The gate comprising duplicats parts, each part is designed to be operated from one side of the roadway to the center by means of the operative mechanism contained in structure 1, hereinafter described, for thrusting the gate forward to the middle of the roadway. Each of the two parts of the gate, which is'flexible, is made up of separate vertical sections 3, Fig. 3, hinged together at top and bottom, so as to swing inwardly on the loose bolts 4. The gate is provided with open spaces 5 above and below at regular intervals for two purposesfirst, for a means of operation, and, second, to reduce its weight. For the latter purpose open spaces are also shown above and below the central line. The object of dividing each part of the gate into vertical sections is to make it flexihle to enable me to coil or wind it upon a reel 6, contained in the structure 1. The reel 6 has a vertical shaft 12 extending from the base up through the structure 1, and is operated by means of a rack 7 underneath the end of the drawbridge which engages with a pinion 8 and spur-gear 9, anchored in bearings inthe abutment, as shown in Fig. 5. The spur-gear 9 is connected by pitmen 10 with a sliding rack 11, set edgewise in bearings underneath the structure 1. The pitmen 10 being attached to one side of the gear 9 by the crank-pin 12 secures a movement of the racks 11 equal to the diameter of the spur-gear. The vertical shaft 12, above mentioned as erected through the structure 1 and reel 6, is provided at its base with a spur-gear 13. Apinion 14, engaging with the rack 11, communicates the motion from the rack 11 to the spur-gear 13 and the vertical shaft 12 in one structure, while an intervening idler 15 is used to provide a reverse movement in the other, which is required in order that the shafts 12 may have a uniform direction with that of the mechanism on the opposite side of the roadway. Each of the shafts 12 carries the reel 6, upon which is carried one of the parts of the gate, one end of which is attached to the reel. The outward movement ofthe rack 11 causes the drum 6 to revolve, unwinding the coiled gate, thrusting it out of its housing in a straight line toward the center of the roadway. A shaft 16, erected vertically on the arms 24 at the head and base of reel 6, is provided with a gear 17 above and below, which engage in the open spaces 5 in the gate and serve as guides for the gate during the movement in either direction. Apinion 17 on the base of the shaft 16 engages with an idler 17 on a contiguous vertical shaft 16, erected on the projecting arms 24 from the head and base of said reel, which transmits motion from the spur-gear 31 on shaft 12- to said shaft 16 to facilitate the outward movement of the gate and aid the movement of the reel. A shaft 18', also erected in said arms 24 on the outer side of the gate and carrying gear-wheels 18 to engage with the gate, guides it in its outward thrust across the roadway in a straight line. These gears 18 acquire their motion by contact with the gate. A latch 19 is pivotally attached to each of the gate-sections 3 at their central line and carries a lug 21 at one end and a projecting pin 23 at-the other. A block 20 is attached to one side of each of the gate-sections on a line with the latch 19. The latch 19 is adapted to drop down between the blocks 20 on the gate-sections, permitting the lug 21 to engage with the underside of the block 20 on the same gate-section and the opposite end of the latch to engage with the side of the block 20 on the adjoining gate-section to hold said gate-sections inflexible in a direct or straight line. a

The projecting pin 23 on the end of the latch 19' engages with the inclined groove 23 in the side 19 at the entrance to the housing, by means of which the gate sections are locked or released according to the direction the gate may be moved, whether in or out. The latch 19 when released is maintained in that position by the center piece 20 on the central portion of the reel after passing the groove 23.

Two wheels 25, carried rigidly on the shaft 12, provide the two heads of the reel 6 and are placed at a suitable distance apart to accommodate the height of the gate. The edge of the wheels is provided with aflange which engages with the projecting shoulders upon the sides of the gate-sections provided by the members 3, by means of which the gate is carried and wound upon the reel. Two or more upright bars connect the two heads or wheels 25. A center piece 20 extends around the reel to provide additional strength and also engages the pin 23 to prevent the latch 19 dropping down after leaving the groove 23.

A cable 26 supports the free ends of the gate when it closes the roadway. The cable is passed over a pulley 27, erected on a post on the structure 1, thence to another pulley 28 at the head of the reel. The slack is provided for by a sheave 29, mounted rigidly on shaft 12 above the reel, and partakes of the same movement, carrying the end of the cable around with it. A signal-tower 30 may be erected upon the structure 1 and connected with the shaft 12, which is tubular and through which the signal may be operated by any simple device connected with the movement of the reel, the movement in one direction to display the signal that the draw is open, the reverse that it is closed.

In the operation of the gate the swinging of the drawbridge gives motion to the spurgear 9, which operates the pitman 10, giving motion to the rack 11 and incidentally to the shaft 12 by the intervening pinion and spur 13, which operate the wheels 25 and 31, connected with the operation of the gate. The wheels 25, being turned by the shaft 12, thrust the gate forward, aided by the gear-wheels on shaft 16 and spur-gear 31, while the guidewheels on shaft 18' direct the gate across the roadway. The bridge swinging back to its normal position, rack 7 engages with spurgear 9 and reverses the movement of the reels, which then Mlilhd raw the gate and coil it again. As the gate passes out of its housing the latching device is automatically operated by the groove at the side, making the gatesections inflexible. The reverse movement releases the latch to permit the gate to adapt itself to the reel on which it is carried.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatically-operated gate for drawbridges the combination with a drawbridge of a two-part flexible gate, each part consisting of Vertical sections hinged together to permit it to be coiled in one direction, a reel for each of said parts erected upon each side of the roadway, a flanged wheel on each head of said reel adapted to carry said gate, a housing for said reel, a means for operating said reel to thrust each of said gates to the center of the roadway automatically by the movement of said drawbridge, and means for automatically inflexibly locking said gatesections as the gate is ejected from the reel.

2. In an automatically-operated gate for drawbridges, a two-part flexible gate, each part consisting of vertical sections hinged together and adapted to be coiled in one direction, a reel for each of said parts erected upon each side of the roadway, each of the said reels adapted to coil and carry one part of said gate, a vertical shaft for said reel, a rack underneath the end of the drawbridge, a pinion and spur-gear anchored in the abutment to said drawbridge to engage said rack, a pitman connecting said spur-gear with a sliding rack at the base of said vertical shaft, a spur-gear on the base of said vertical shaft, a pinion to engage said spur-gear and said. rack substantially as described.

3. In an automatically-operated gate for drawbridges, a two-part gate, each part consisting of vertical sections hinged together, a block at a central point in each of said vertical sections, a locking device pivoted adjajent said block and adapted to drop between the blocks of contiguous sections to lock such sections inflexibly together, means for releasing said locking device automatically during the operation of said gate substantially as specified.

4. In an automatically-operated gate for drawbridges, a drawbridge, a rack underneath the end of said drawbridge, a spurgear anchored in hearings in the abutment to said bridge to engage said rack, pitmen attached to one side of said spur-gear having a horizontal movement equal to the diameter of said spur-gear, a horizontal sliding rack at the end of said pitmen, a pinion and spurgear to engage said sliding rack, a vertical shaft for said spur-gear, a reel rigid on said vertical shaft, a gate hinged in sections around said reel adapted to be moved outward from said reel in a straight line, guides for said gate, means forinflexibly locking and unlocking said gate-sections automatically as it leaves and returns to said reel, substantially as specified.

5. In an automatically-operated gate for drawbridges the combination of a drawbridge having a rack underneath the end thereof, with a spur-gear and pinion anchored in bearings in the abutment, pitmen attached to a crank-pin in one side of said spur-gear and having a horizontal movement, a rack set edgewise and adapted to move horizontally on the same plane with each of said pitrnen and attached to the free end of said pitmen, a pinion and spur-gear to engage said rack, a vertical shaft for said spur-gear, a reel rigid on said shaft, a gate comprising vertical sections flexibly hinged together adapted to be coiled and carried upon said reel, vertical shafts carrying gear-wheels as guides for said gate, a housing for said reel and gate, alocking device for said gate-sections, means for automatically operating said locking device substantially as specified.

6. In an automatically-operated gate, the

vertical sections hinged together, with ahousing for each part of said gate on the side of the roadway, a vertical shaft erected in said housing, a reel rigid on said vertical shaft, a wheel having a flange at the head and base of said reel, adapted to engage a shoulder or projecting sides of said gate, vertical shafts carrying gear-wheels as guides for said gate a spur-gear at the base of said first-mentioned vertical shaft, a pinion to engage said spurgear, ahorizontal rack to engage said pinion, a pitlnan having a horizontal movement to give motion to said rack, a spur-gear at center of roadway engaging said pitman, a drawloridge having a rack underneath the end to engage said spur-gear substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

VICTOR D. JoHNsoN.

Witnesses:

H. C. HUNSBERGER, P. A. JOHNSON. 

